Anvil assembly for forging hammers



July 10, 1962 w. w. ROBBINS ANVIL ASSEMBLY FOR FORGING HAMMERS FiledDec. 19, 1958 JTNV ENTOE W1! [114m wdevbbjxvs 3,043,167 ANVIL ASSEMBLYFGR FORGING HAMRERS William W. Robbins, Chicago, 111., assignor toInternational Harvester Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of NewJersey Filed Dec. 19, 1958, Ser. No. 781,733 2 Claims. (CI. 78-44) Thisinvention relates to forging hammers and more particularly to animproved anvil construction of a type used in the forge industry.

One of the most costly maintenance problems in forg ing hammers has todo with the replacement of anvils. in the conventional forge hammerconstruction, the anvil consists of a base which is usually firmlysupported on a concrete understructure embedded within the floor. Theconventional anvil further comprises laterally spaced upper surfaceswhich support the columns of the hammer. Between the columns the anvilis usually recessed to provide a sow block cradle in which the sow blockof the hammer is securely fastened. In addition the sow block usuallysupports the forging dies and the impact of the dropping hammer isinitially absorbed in that portion of the anvil which is disposedimmediately below the recess and the sow block. The anvil is generallymade of a cast material and it has been found through many years of usethat the anvil first deteriorates at the corners of the cradle, thedeterioration usually'beginning asa crack at the corners, the crackssuccessively becoming longer and deeper as the anvil is continued to beused. After a period of time, the anvil must be replaced or must bereworked by welding and machining, this operation being very costly andrequiring complete removal of the anvil from the understructure whichsupports the same. The cracks which appear at the corners of the cradleresult from the recessed shape of the cradle and the fact that it is atthis point where the initial impact of the hammer is absorbed. It isalso particularly true in castings that corners present stressedportions which have a tendency to fail more frequently than flatsurfaces under conditions of continuous pounding and impact. Thus it isa prime object of this invention to provide an improved anvil assemblyconstructed and arranged so that a minimum of maintenance is necessaryduring the life of a forging hammer. V

A still further object is the provision of an anvil for forging hammers,the said anvil comprising a plurality of parts which will be simple todisassemble and maintain during the life of the forging hammer.

A still further object is the provision of an improved forging hammeranvil assembly, thetsaid anvil comprising replaceable column supportswhich are laterally spaced to form a cradle, the said cradle beingadapted to receive the initial impacts of the forging hammer, thestructure being such that no sharp corners are provided in that theanvil has a flat upper surface which can absorb high degrees of impactover long periods of time without causing cracking of the anvil inregions of the cradle.

These and further objects will become more readily apparent from areading of the description when examined in connection with theaccompanying sheet of drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a forging hammer having animproved anvil construction;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of a forging hammer shown in FIGURE1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective partial view of an anvil assembly;and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken particularly along the line 4-4 ofFIGURE 1.

A forging hammer is generally designated by the reference character 19.The forging hammer comprises an anvil generally designated at 11, thesaid anvil including a base 12 which may be suitably supported below theground level within a reinforced pit or understructure (not shown). L

The anvil 11 comprises at its upper laterally spaced ends outwardlyflared portions 13. Furthermore, the anvil includes suitable control rodbosses 1 4. The anvil includes a fiat upper surface 15 having aplurality of spaced vertically extending bores 16 having their open endsopening outwardly on the said surface '15.

A column support plate is designated at 17. The column support plate 17also includes a plurality of bores 18 which are adapted to register withthe bores 16 when the support plate 17 is placed into the position shownin the figures. The support plate 17 is rigidly secured to the anvil 11by means of steel dowel rods 19 which are v driven into the bores 18 and16 in force-fit relation. The column support plate 17 also includes aninner wall 20, the said inner wall diverging outwardly in V-shapedrelation. The wall 20 is provided at a central portion with a verticalrecess 21. The Wall 20 also slopes or tapers upwardly and inwardly withrespect to a vertical center line throughthe anvil 11. Another supportplate is also designated at 22. The support plate 22 comprises bores 23having dowels 24 driven therein in force-fit relation.

The dowels 24 also are driven downwardly into the bores 16 of the 'anvil11 in force-fit relation to tightly secure the support plate 2 2 on thetop surface 15 of the anvil 11. The support plate 22 also has a taperingwall 25 sloping upwardly and in an inward direction with respect to avertical center line through the anvil 11. The tapering walls 20 and 25in effect provide a sow block cradle or saddle generally designated at26.

A sow block is designated at 27, the said sow block 27 having a taperingwall 28, said wall 28 conforming respectively to the wall 20. The sowblock 27 also includes a tapered well 29 which may support a forging die(not shown). The sow block further includes another tapenng wall 349which tapers upwardly and inwardly with respect to a vertical centerline through the anvil 11. A wedge 31 is tightly driven into a spaceformed between the Wall and the Wall 25 and this wedge securely locksthe sow block 27 in position. Upwardly extending columns 32 and 33 aresuitably secured to the plates 17 and 22 by bolts 32', the said securingmeans not being pertinent insofar as the invention is concerned. Thecolumns 32 and 33 suitably support guide members 34 which serve to guidea ram 35 having connected thereto a piston rod 36. The piston rod 36 maybe connected to a suitable steam or air cylinder in a conventionalmanner. 01' the ram 35 may be suitably connected to a drop typearrangement whereby the ram may drop by gravity, this feature beingconventional and not being particularly significant from the standpointof the invention.

The operation of the forge hammer is unchanged insofar as conventionaloperation is concerned. During long periods of use, however, only simplemaintenance will be required since the anvil is no longer constructedfrom a single piece, but is in effect, constructed with the columnsupport plates 17 and 22 which are securely con nected to the flatsurface 15 and these provide the necessary cradle or saddle to retainthe sow block 27 in position. Thus the anvil is no longer made integral,as in the conventional design where the recessed cradle has cornerswhich will crack because of the high initial impact which must beabsorbed immediately beneath the sow block. Since the corners thus havebeen eliminated, cracking of the anvil is extremely unlikely in that thestresses are equally distributed throughout the flat surface withoutstress concentrations occurring in recessed V replace the same.

portions thereof. Furthermore, in the event of damage to either or oneof the supporting plates 17 and 22, it is a relatively simple matter toThe shape of the plates 17 and 22 is such that a secure lockingarrangement is effected with respect to the sow block 27. I

' Thus an anvil assembly has been described which will have a long lifeand which is free of the disadvantages of the conventionally constructedanvil. It is apparent I that the objects of the invention have beenfully achieved and it must be realized that changes and modificationsmay be made which do not depart from the spirit of the invention asdisclosed or the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

remove the plates and to ing said sow block on said saddle including aWedge member engaging said second wall of said sow block and said secondinner wall, and means removably securing said 1. An anvil for usewith'forge hammers, comprising a base, a flat horizontal top surface onsaid base, said base including a plurality of bores opening outwardly onsaid top surface, first andsecond column support plates posi- 1 tionedin laterally spaced relation on said surface to provide therebetween asow block saddle, a first support plate having a firstinner walladjacent said saddle, said Wall diverging in generally v-shaped fashionoutwardly from said recess, said wall tapering downwardly and outward-1y with respect to. said saddle, said second column support plate havinga second inner wall adjacent said sad- I dle tapering'downwardly andoutwardly with respect to' said saddle,a sow block disposed in saidsaddle, said sow block having an upper diesupporting surface and a firsttapering wall complementing said first inner wall, a second taperingwall on said sow block, means for securplates to said base comprising aplurality of dowels projecting downwardly from said plates into thebores of said base, said plates being adapted to support said colums.

2. An anvil assembly for forge hammers comprising a base having ahorizontal supporting surface, said base including a plurality of boresopening outwardly on said supporting surface, first and second columnsupportplates positioned in laterally spaced relation on said surface toprovide therebetween a sow block saddle, said plates each having aninner wall tapering generally'downwardly and away from said saddle, asow block removably supported on said cradle, said sow block havinglaterally spaced tapering walls, one sow block wall conforming to theinner wall of said first plate, a wedge'engaging the inner wall ofthesecond plate and the other tapering wall of said sow blockwhereby saidsow block is secured in said saddle, and means removably connecting saidplates to said base including members projecting from said plates andengagingsaid bores in securing relation.

. References Cited inithe file ofthis patent

